Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Plate 9.2
The aggraded,
embanked channel of the Rio
Guadelmedina at Malaga,
Spain, in 1980. Sand and gravel
brought down from the
mountains have raised the bed
of the confined channel above
the level of the adjacent streets,
so putting adjacent buildings at
risk of flooding.
fish habitat restoration to flood damage reduction
prepared by citizen and agency members of the
Johnson Creek Watershed Council working
together over five years
(ibid.)
.
In the UK, flood alleviation works have been
strongly influenced by the Wildlife and
Countryside Act of 1981, Section 48 of which
requires engineers to undertake river works in an
environmentally sensitive manner. An investigation
into floodplain management along the River
Colne, west of London, involved a comprehensive
holistic assessment of environmental resources in
order that the ecological and recreation benefits
of this valley could be retained and enhanced
(Driver and Pepper 1996).
Often the wealthiest people in cities are able to
ensure good piped supplies or have the finance to
buy bottled water. For the poor things are very
different. When cities lack the financial resources to
maintain their water systems, human health is
threatened. In 1995, five of the 500,000 inhabitants
of Nikolayev, Ukraine, died from cholera due to
lack of funds to repair the collapsing water and
sewerage system. Others had died in 1991 and 1994.
Cholera probably comes from people swimming in,
or eating fish from, the Southern Bug River, into
which enters partly treated sewage carrying the
cholera bacterium from the people to the river. All
cities affected by war, civil strife or natural disasters
face similar risks, but economic difficulties can
make them long-lasting.
DANGERS OF INADEQUATE URBAN
WATER SYSTEMS
Competition for water between rich and poor
communities in cities
In 1995, water tankers appeared in wealthy
suburbs of south Delhi (Goldenberg 1995) as the
city administration cut back supplies by 20 per
cent and brought in rationing. Although a virtually
permanent problem for the poor of Delhi, the
impacts on the wealthy suburbs as the temperature
rose to 45°C led to political action, with Haryana
state upstream on the Jumna River releasing extra
water to avert the crisis.
Inadequate water systems lead to four main sets of
problems:
Health problems from lack of fresh water and
inadequate waterborne sanitation
Geography enters into urban water management
in a more complex way when considering the
implications of water supply for human health.
